Electric semaphore-signal.



G. W. PETTEY.

ELEGTRIU SEMAfiHORE SIGNAL.

APPLIUATIOH mum 53m, 21,1908

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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Md M P Mm m5 @m m G. W. PETTEY. BLEGTRIG SEMAPHORE SIGNAL. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT 21,1908. 91 3,974. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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WITNESSES INVENTOH A TTOHNEY ties was encountere GEORGE W. PETTEY, fiLEXANiFRIA, INDICATOR SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GINIA.

VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO PETTEY ELECTRICAL ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION 01" VIR- ELEOTRIC SEMAPHORE-SIGNAL.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PETTEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric Semaphore-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an improved elcctric semaphoresignal, designed more particularly for road crossings at railroad tracks, but applicable as a signal for any purpose whatever. I

It relates to that form of semaph'ofe signal in which the arms of the signal 'revo 've from the action of an electric motor, whose circuit is controlled by the car or .train as it nears the point to be protected. It has been common to rovide a revolving signal of this class which operated through a. normally closed circuit which kept the arms normally revolving during the period of safety and which for danger were brought to a standstill. When such normally revolving signal was stopped for d er, one of two difiiculeither, the revolving instantly stopped, jar to the heavy regears, or else the restandstill so slowly,

si nal required to be w ich gave a dama ing volving arms and t ieir volving arms came to a owing to the momentum" of the arms, that for a considerable time after the danger adjustment was made the revolving arms would, by revolving, continue to falsely indicate safety at or near the moment of crossing. Furthermore, a danger condition is much more certainly presented to the unwary by the active flight of the arms, than by the quiescent or stationaryattitude of the arms.

My invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of a revolving semaphore signal of this class, in which an open circuit is employed, the normal safely condition being indicated by a stationary condition of the arms and the danger condition .boing obtrusively indicated by the active [light of the arms in revolving during a limited period only as the train msses the crossing. This limited period is what 1 term a limited-continuous revolution wriod, the rower transmitting mcclnmism ol the signal icing so arranged as to trip a circuit breaker after a limited time and so stopthc motor and bring the revolving arms to a standstill with a gradual slowing up oF'thc revolving Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 21, 1908. Serial No. 463,899.

view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Patented March 2, 1909.

arms which, occurring after the passage of the train over the crossing, can involve no danger on the one hand, and no damaging stra n on the mechanism from sudden stopping on the other hand.

y invention also consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the semaphore arms in combination with the actuatmg devices and stop mechanism and also further in the construction and arrangement of the omrating mechanism as hereinafter more fully described.

1n the draw' s Figure 1 is a )eispective view of my sigr i iii located at a mi road crossing. Fig. 2, is a diagram of the circuits. Fig. 3, is a perspective detail view of the shaft and one of the semaphore arms. Fig. 4, is a cross section through the light-box of the semaphore arm. Fig. 5, is a .top plan view of the semaphore box and connected arms. Fig. 6, is a vertical cross sectional Fig. 7, is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 8, is a detail view of the bell-ringing meclianisni.

In the draw n Fig. l, A A are the right and left tracks 0? a double track railway, B is a road crossing, C is a post bearing my revolving signal a ll D is a box mounted on the post and cort iaining the electro-lnechauical motor mechanism for imparting a limited-continuous rotation to the semaphore arms E E. The est (1 and signal devices are located at the unction of the road crossing. At a suitable distance therefrom-so. 1000 fect-is located a second post U which is beside the track on which the cans approach the crossing. Along the edge of one of those rails is located a dopressible shoe (1, which'is adapted to he struck by the wheels of the passing car and which, when depressed, ell'ects electrical contact with a terminal of the wire a loading to the soumphoro box 1). Any kind of a (lilllCSSilJlU shoe forming a track switch may be om .IlU \'(ll. 'l is the trolley wire and h is a wire cadilig from the same to the signal box I while a is another wiro loading from the said box t the rails and ground.

'iho signal ho l), Figs. Ii, (5, and 7, (Ulitnins all olvntrir motor lll whose armature shaft bears a pinion in engaging a larger gem whorl m' to which is rigidly attm-lwd a pinion m. which in turn engages a larger toothed gear in" fixed rigidly on a shalt 5, which car- Ill l'lt's onttsidv the box the SPUHLpllUJ'P'zll'lllS 1) li. 'lhv gvurs III to m tll't strnightioot hod pnrnllvl pur grins for impurtiiu' it tllllllll isln-d Slltt'tl from tho motor to L10 shztlt ol' tlnstllltljtlltll'l' :LHHS, which sllzlltds at right :ulglt's to tilt phuuof tho gun's and pzuulh-l to tho axis of tho motor; gmu in 15 u. rmnh or t-u-vntrit- S, Figs. 5 zutd N, whivh, hy its iod H minim-ts;- with tho ttillllx' :tt'ltl h tixrd rigidly on :t. rot-h-slmlt 5. whirh [HLSStS through tluwztll of tho hox and oil tllt ulttsitlt hours it llgitllj :tllittlltll lltLlllltltl arm 5' lllt'll, its thoslntlt is l' t'hltl 'lhv soninphoro shiilt Ii pnsst-s through tlw t-lwso rings and dirvt-t n shunt rirt-nit through tho hunps as ht'rt'nl'ttr iloxt'rilu'd. 'ihtfourth opening of t-lu' couplin 2 is providpd with u dctnchzthlv st-rt-w rap 2" through which access is :Lll'ordod for wiring I will now dvst-riho tho nu'nns l'or vontinuing the notion of tho motor nltor tho (lU-illll of its initial starting (in-nit. and stopping tho revolution of tho sonmphorv :lfltl thn mu has mssml the crossing, rolorvnt-o lining had to higs. 5, ti and 7. ()u tho smunphoro shaft 5, see Fig. ti, is l'orlnvd a, worm ll, which ougagt's u vortit'nl worm whool N lornttd nhovo thv shaft and sustuinml upon u post I; Loosvly lnlng about tho axis ol' thiworm whvol is o'uo or more woighttod arms 0, U, and projt t-ting latorallyfrom the worm \\'lt((l is :1 pin it which, as tho worm whrt-i rovolws, lil'tsnnd Un tho huh of tho turns up it wviglitvd nrin until the luttm pnsws tln- -rlirnl, at which time said nrln drops :tllll inipnrts n lnunnur l)l(l\\' to n tripping lillt'll ll \\lll('lt stops tht action of tho motor, it horvnt'ttr dvscrihcd.

joiitvr t-nd mntiirrhu v g and nornmlly grmi'lztling to n position of rest on a pin y*'. 'l ht tripping'lnt -h -ll ls hung in u \vrlirul |ltn lllull upon with-ivzst'pumlod llorizolllul pi\'ols I: hand its iuiddlt' swvllml-oul portion is hold out into thtpath of tho arm!) by 11 spring /1' lot-Mod lJ(l\\((?ll tho lntrh H and the with ol tho hoxi Tho lowvr 0nd of lttl('ll ll has :1 IwA't-Ivd-lnw ('ult'h It \\'ltl('ll is ndnptod to t'illt'll and hold tho nrnmturv lovvr (l in its (ll\':lllll position, as indit-atod by doth-(l lint-.\ in Figs ti and 7, \rlwnmorsnid :nnniturn low-r ts lil'tvd hy the t'lot'tro-nnlglwt F. \i'ht-n so lil'tt-d llN (UllliM'l g on the 0nd of [hr lt\(l' st rilu-s thv rortic-nlly movnhlo run- Jl:t \'lll} f Yt'rtirall) in a barrel 1, su pnndvd i); a hood and hold down in rvsilivnl rclntion h a spriral spring i". The lmll'tl l is t'onnt't'tod by u win 20 10 ll. pelinmnvnt ground ronnpt-tion which is establislu-d \xlu-nvu-r t-ontntt g lifts the pin '11. \\'h,t n t ho olm-t ro-inagnrt F lifts tho nrnmture ll\ll' (it it vstnhlishos vlvvtrit-nl connection lltt \rvon t'olilmt g and tlw ground connection and wlwn in this position tho nrnnttnre levor is ruught HHlj thn shoulder of the lntrh ll maintaining tho ground t irtinit "lhv object in making lllt upper oniut't in the form of a inonihlu pin i is lOJIlSUl't ('oiLlnc-t usthc',

\ indimut-d h (llllltll lines in l"ig.' ti, the rzttvh It is thrown hut-k from its t unpomry sup port of ltVll' (.l and the latter drops to' tho l'nll llllt' position soon in l igsfti and 7, allowing tho ground ('ircuit to he opened and sto ping the inoto1. I

l havtnshow n two gravituting arms (Ttn'id 0. Only min is needed where the time of not ion of llitrvvolviiigsclmqihor is one complete revolution of worm wheel N. This tinw -nn, howevor, he rodubcd by the use of two arms and U and uingtw0 pins-1in" plat-ti l din Int-t rirnlly opposite each otherjone pin 11 living long enough to strike both nr'ins and tho other pin n short ennughto strik tho mlt :ll'lll t'lostst to the worm wheel only, as indicated lay dotted Imus.

I will now dosttibo the complete operation of my signal, rvfvrt-noo llfllll md to the din grunt Fig. 'lhv throo hilltllllg posts z,y,z,- arottn'iu-nigml intho hoxl). I hopostzcrecexves curront from the generator and trolley wire transmission of by wire 5. From the point a: the current divides, one part going throu h wire 13 to the semaphore light brushes K and wire 14 to the point 17 the other part going through wire 15 to the motor M, resistance r and wire 16 to the point 17. From 17 there are also two circuits. One goes through'wire 18, the coils of electro-magnet F and wire 19 to bindin I post 3; and track switch contact a to the rail. The other goes from mint 1? through lever G, contacts 9 and I and wire 20 to binding post 2 and ground wire 0 to the rail. The circuit 13, 14, l8, 19 is the initial starting circuit and this is made whenever the passing car closes the track switch at (1. Its effect is to close a ground circuit 20 byclosing'com' tests 9 an I; the circuit being maintained closed by theholding latch H through the limited period of time during which the semaphore is'ke t revolving, its bell ringing and its lamps i uminated. When the initial or startingcircuit is opened by the car wheel leaving the jdepressible shoe, the electroma net is demagnetized so that when the late H is tripped, after the predetermined time, the lever Gfalls and opens the ground circuit 20, c.

I do not confine my invention to the exact construction and arran ement of devices shown and described, as t ese may be varied in many respects without departing from my invention, as set forth in the claims.

An im ortant feature of my invention is to be .found in the fact that the balanced and somewhat heavy semaphore arms receive no shock or 'ar when stopped. This is due to the factt at while the gears m, in m, turn the semaphore arms in one direction, said arms will continue to slowly revolve after the motor stops, the worm L turning the worm wheel N, the spur ears and the armature of the motor until a' parts come slowly' to a standstill.

What I claim is: 1

1. An electric signal device, comprising a normally open electric circuit, a circuit-closer closed by the passage of the car, an electric motor, balanced revolving semaphore arms, a series of diminishing s ur gears connecting the motor to the shaft 0 the semaphore arms for reducing the speed from the motor to the revolving arms-and also allowing the back,"

power from the revolving arms to the motor shaft when the motor is out of action, an electro-magnet arranged in the normallyppen electric circuit, un -{armature switch for'said electro-ma et having a contact for a shunt circuit an ii shunt cir cuit made thmu h the same to ground from the motor an tripping mechanism for opening the armature switch of the shunt circuit after a predetermined period, to give a limited-contmuous revolution to the semaphore arms.

2. An electric signal device. comprising a normall 0 H311 electric circuit, a circuit closer 0 user by the passage of thcucar, an electric motor, balanced revolving semaphore arms, a series of diminishing s pur gears connecting the motor to the short of the semaphore arms for reducing the speed from the motor to the revolving arms and also nl lowing the back transmission of power from the revolving arms to the motor shaft when the motor is out of action, an elcctro-niagnet arranged in the normally open elcctrncircuit, an armature switch for said electrom met having a contact for a shunt circuit an a shunt circuit made through the same to switch o the shunt circuit to open the latter. 3. An electric signal device, comprising a,

closer c phore arms, a series of diminishing s ur ears connecting the motor to the sha t o the semaphore arms for reducing the speed from the motor to the revolving arms and also allowing the back transmission of power from the revolving arms to the motor shaft when the motor is out of action, an electro-magnet arranged in the normally open electric circuit, an armature switch for said electromagnet having a contact for a shunt circuit and a shunt circuit made through the same to round from the motor and trippin meo anism for opening the armature switc 1 period, to give a limited-continuous revolution to the semaphore arms, electric incandescent lamps arranged in the semaphore arms, two revolving insulated rings connectlamps and rubbing contacts arranged in the shunt circuit. 4. A revolving electric signal, consisting of an'electro-mechanical motor mechanism, a hollow shaft bearing two insulated rub-rings with bearing contacts, a hollow radiating arm connected rigidly to the hollow shaft and having an electric light box on the outer end and two circuit wires connected respectively to the two rub-rings and extending thence through the hollow shaft and the hollow ragiating arm to the electric lamps of the light I ox.

A5. A revolving electric signal, consisting of an electromechanical motor mechanism, a hollow shaft bearingtwo insulated rub-rings the tripping mechanism for the armature of the shunt circuit after a predetermined with hearing contacts, a four-way pipe-coupnormally open electric circuit, a circuit oser by the passage of the car, an electric motor, balanced revolving seine ed, respectively to ,the terminal wires of the hearing at their miter ends electric light hows; t\\o elm-hie \rires connected .to the roll-lines and extending: thronfg h tluhollow shall and through the opposite hollou arm to the ele tric lamps.

IS. A revolving elect rie signal, consist in r-I :tn eleelro-meelmnirul niolor-nwehunism. a. lullow shaft hearing ,tn'o insulated rub-rings it h hearing contacts, :1 l'our-\\'a pi ieoup lin; at the outer end of the hollow shalt two opposite h llow radiating :l'rnis connected in the opposite ends of the pipe coupling: and heuringnt theirouterendselectrie light boxes, l\\'o electric wires connected to the rubrings and extendinp through the hollow shalt and through the o )posite hollo\\' arms to the electric lamps and a detaehahlc closure for the tonr-wayeouplingnrranged coaxially with the shaft.

7. 1mm electric signal, the combination of an elect'rri-magnet. a suhjaeent arnmturcle Yer pivoted on a horizontal axis at oneend and hearing a contact at the other end, a

movable superimposed contact for thcsame,

a -tri iping latch arranged ii'ra vertical plane, and raving a catch to hold the armature lever and a time mechanism for tripping said latch.

8. In an electric signal, the combination of an eleetro-1nagnet, a subjaccnt armature lever pivoted on a horizontal axis at one end 4 and hearing a contact at the other end, a

' movable superimposed contact for the. same,

a tri )plllg latch arranged in a vertical plane and loving a catch to hold the armature le- \-'er and a time mechanism for tripping said.

latch consisting of a revolving-wheel bearing a loose hammer arm and a lift projection for lifting and dro) )lll" the hammer arm a ainst t I h thetl'ippinglateh.

.t. in an (l(l'll'lC signal. thc combination with an electric motor and semaphore arm hal'l havim, parallel axes; of a series of parallel spur gears harm; .sl l':lt [l\t teeth, a casmg inelosmg the Hitlltt', a rock-shalt ourmded 'in the casing and Inning on one end inside the raising a crank arm connected to the spur gear and harm; on the outside of the casing or hell hammer and u gong hell mcloslnglhesume.

It). An electric signal apparatus, comprisinguneleelrie lnolornndsemaphorearmshaft having parallel axes. a train of gear wheels 1 connecting the some, a worm located on the senmphore shalt, a superposed worm Wheel \\'ltll :1 loose gruvltatmg hammer arm, an armature leverarranged at right angles to the semaphore shalt, an electro-magnet arranged above the same, a tripping latch for the same arranged in the path of the gravitatmg arm and terminal contacts eontmllcd by the. ar-

l I. hran 'electric signal, the combination with an electric motor and semaphore arm shaft havingparallel-axes; of a series of parallel spur gears connecting the motor and semaphore shaft, an eccentric arranged upon the outer side of one of the spur gears, a bell hammer and hell, and means for connecting the bell hammer to the eccentric.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PETTEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BROWN, JOHN D. NORMOYLE. 

